Self-facing retail merchandise displays such as pusher systems incorporate one or more pusher paddles or pusher bodies that ride along a respective elongated track. A spring is connected between the pusher body and a leading edge of the track. The spring acts to bias the pusher body forward along the track towards the leading edge thereof.
A user can retract the pusher body away from the leading edge of the track and position items of retail merchandise in a linear row on top of the track and between the leading edge of the track and the pusher body. The biasing force provided by the spring and exerted upon the pusher body serves to bias the linear row of retail merchandise forward to ultimately “front face” the merchandise.
That is, when a customer removes the leading most item of merchandise from the linear row of merchandise, the pusher body will be drawn forward by the spring to index the row of merchandise forward so that the next item of merchandise in the row is positioned proximate the leading edge of the track in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Such automatic front facing eliminates the necessity for retail store employees to manually face the merchandise, and thus ultimately reduces the cost of labor of the retailer.
Some products in the retail industry, e.g., perishable goods, may be utilized as first in first out (FIFO) inventory. For example, perishable goods, such as for example, bagged salad, may be loaded in an open back cooler from behind a retail display containing these perishable goods so as to be utilized as first in first out inventory. However, there are certain retail displays that do not allow for such rear loading access.
For example, as is well known in the art, retail merchandise gondola-type displays or the like utilize an upright back wall (e.g. a peg board) from which retail display assemblies such as shelving with or without pusher systems situated thereon, hooks, etc. depend outwardly therefrom in a cantilever manner. As such, there is no rear access due to the upright wall, and such displays have heretofore been avoided in the context of FIFO type inventory. Indeed, it is possible to remove all prior loaded merchandise therefrom, to then situate new, fresher, merchandise in the rear to maintain a FIFO type arrangement. However, such a process is typically avoided due to the inefficiencies and labor required in effectuating the same.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a retail merchandise system, particularly a pusher system, that will allow for rear loading of merchandise in the pusher system without the need to access the pusher system from the rear. Such a system could be advantageously employed in the above described gondola-type displays that have an upright rear wall that prevents access to the system from behind. Embodiments of the invention provide such a pusher system. These and other advantages of embodiments of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.